Southern California Coastal & Inland Valleys

October, 2003
Regional Report

Shows & Events

Third Annual Garden Day
The University of California Cooperative Extension Common Ground Garden Program will present an annual garden day on Saturday, October 18, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event is for community, school, and home gardeners, and costs $5 per person. Workshop topics include composting, worm composting, propagation, fertilizing, watering, container gardening, and preparing easy recipes with fresh vegetables. Seeds and plants will be for sale. It will be held at the Carmelitos Community Garden, 851 Via Carmelitos, Long Beach (northeast of the junction of 405 and 710 freeways). For more information, call (323) 260-3348 or visit: http://celosangeles.ucdavis.edu (Click on Common Ground Garden Program.)

Local Buzz

Watering Schedule Changes
Help overwintering plants harden off by changing your irrigation schedule. Cooler weather slows evaporation from the soil and transpiration from plant foliage, so irrigation is needed less often. Decrease the number of times ? but not the length of time ? you water. For example, water once every three weeks instead of once a week, but still water for half an hour each time. This change will provide water to deep roots while allowing a longer period for the soil to dry in between waterings, and it doesn't encourage new, frost-tender growth.